


The Path of Two Lifetimes

by JJFoLe



Category: Mo Dao Zu Shi, The Founder of Diabolism, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Family, Family Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Reincarnation, Romantic Fluff, friendships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-16 06:31:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17544515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJFoLe/pseuds/JJFoLe
Summary: Wei Wuxian woke up. Like everyday, he expected Lan Wangji to be by his side.But today, he was not. He left, with a single message.“Wei Ying, come back to Gusu with me.”Wei Wuxian, then, started walking on a path Lan Wangji had designed for him.





	1. Chapter 1

The warmth of the sheet covered him despite the slight breeze coming from the open door. He growled and turned around in the bed to not let his closed eyes being disturbed by the early shining sunbeams. He blindly patted the bed and noticed by its emptiness that Lan Wangji had already been awake.

“Lan Zhan...” Wei Wuxian whispered with a husky voice, “Lan Zhan... close the door... it's cold.”

After what he thought few minutes, he emerged from his sleep and realized that Lan Wangji wasn't in the room. He decided to finally wake up. He raised his body out the bed and dressed his naked torso. Between two yawns, he saw, as he expected, a note on the little table decorating their room. Lan Wangji would always leave a note if he had to leave home, even for five minutes.

But, when he looked at the paper, the unexpected message made him frown;

“ _Wei Ying, come back to Gusu with me.”_

Wei Wuxian displayed an indescribable expression of incomprehension, “What!?” he said in the middle of the empty house.

He sat at the table and scanned the message with thoroughness. There were no mistake, it was written by the beautiful calligraphy skills of Lan Wangji. Few days ago, they had planned to go back to GusuLan sect after two nights hunt in Yiling because Lan Wangji had some affairs to regulate. However, they did neither of their nights hunt yet, nor Lan Wangji was here to go back with him to Gusu.

Suddenly, he remembered these words were once pronounced by Lan Wangji before he died as the Yiling Patriarch. In the past, his arrogance leaded him to think he could handle every situation alone. With his body state and cultivation path, it would have been pointless to follow him that he didn't even consider Lan Wangji's proposition. Nevertheless, their situation had changed. He stood up and prepared to go back to Gusu with Little Apple.

The journey to GusuLan sect lasted longer than he thought it would. If he had his past level of cultivation, he would have used Subian to fly to Gusu, but in his current body, it was obviously impossible. At the entrance, he tied Little Apple to a tree, he was unwilling to see Lan Qiren's reaction to its noises.

He entered himself, with discretion. He couldn't deny the fear to come alone in the sect without being sure Lan Wangji would be present. His wanted discretion was short, Lan Jingyi rushed toward him, forgetting the sect rule which prohibited to run.

“Senior Wei! What are you doing here?” the disciple asked.

“Oh!” Wei Wuxian started, as if he just noticed the boy, “Jingyi, is Hanguang-Jun here?”

“Hanguang-Jun? He left two days ago, it is the reason why I am surprised you are alone, he said he would join you soon.”

“He didn't.” Wei Wuxian crossed his arms, puzzled, “Didn't he say anything?”

“No,” the disciple paused, “wait, Senior Wei.... you didn't... huh.”

“Hum?” Wei Wuxian breathed out, even though he knew what the young man was going to say.

“You didn't fight, did you?” Jingyi cautiously said.

“Eh?” Wei Wuxian laughed, “you don't believe that newlyweds would argue so fast, do you? Have faith in love!” He knocked Jingyi's head and mocked “Go to your duties.”

Jingyi sighed while he was leaving, “being scolded by Senior Wei to do my duties...”

Before walking deeper in the sect, he stopped. _They didn't fight, right? No, Lan Wangji was so passionate the eve of his disappearance, they were both satisfied. Perhaps, it was his personality? No, it couldn't be, Lan Zhan had tolerated him for so many years, he wouldn't be upset for so little... would he?_

When he lowered his eyes, he observed two rabbits, one black, one white wheeling around, as though, an invisible object had drawn their attention. Wei Wuxian focused carefully where the rabbits were playing; a string of guqin was hanging to the tree branch. He lifted his head, more than the guqin's string, a crumpled sheet of paper was tied around the same branch. As a spy, he checked his surrounding. He could satisfied his curiosity without being halted. He jumped a few times before realizing he wouldn't be able to reach it without climbing the tree. Because he had always climbed trees as far as he could remember, he accomplished it with easiness and untied the paper. Despite his absence, Lan Wangji's voice caressed Wei Wuxian's ears like a whisper announcing the owner of these words.

“ _Wei Ying, look up.”_

 

Unconsciously, he immediately did. The roof of the construction loomed in front of his sight. From afar, he saw a pot. As soon as he understood, a bright smile appeared on his face and jumped on the roof. As he thought, _“Emperor's Smile”_ was indicated on the jar. The reminiscences of their encounter fuzzily arose in his mind, the first straight but upset face of Lan Wangji was rooted in his memory, and would never leave despite death. However, he thought Lan Wangji would have preferred to forget this hurting souvenir. Wei Wuxian laughed, _Lan Zhan witnessed for the first time a man going against his sect's rules, of course, a man like him would be upset_.

He seized the pot with a disappointed air, “Lan Zhan, if you want me to remember our past, make it real!”

Obviously, the jar didn't contain any liquid of any sort, yet, he pulled the tissue covering it. A paper was lying at the bottom of it, another message was written by the same man.

“ _Wei Ying, do you know?”_

 

“ _When have I fallen for you?”_

 

Wei Wuxian's eyes widened. He hid half of his face with his hand holding the paper, “Lan Zhan...” he whispered. He was aware that Lan Wangji's feelings had been already existing before he died, but he had never asked when it happened. Wei Wuxian wondered, _was it at their first encounter? But Lan Zhan was so upset, wasn't he?_ Wei Wuxian felt his cheeks blushing, he had been so oblivious for years that he was embarrassed. But, a pure happiness burst inside his chest, he had been supported, loved, and cherished for so many years. Lan Wangji condemned his misdemeanor only for Wei Wuxian's sake.

“If you had been more conspicuous, I might have fallen for you sooner, Lan Zhan,” he smiled.

He loved him, and the urge to tell him again and again teared his soul as he couldn't at this right moment. He looked at the back of the paper and another message showed up.

“ _Go to the Jingshi.”_

 

He didn't need Lan Wangji's indications, because he would have slept there for the night anyway. He went without bumping into Lan Qiren nor anyone too important in the sect. The place had not changed since they had left, the order prevailed in the room, as ever.

On Lan Wangji's study desk was disposed the portrait Wei Wuxian had drawn of the man, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but sneer at this souvenir. Surprisingly, another drawing was arranged next to the other, it was a portrait of himself; his past self. The accurate fine lines were refined as the supposed artist, Lan Wangji's drawing skills were actually better than his. _So, you had the time to even draw me back then_ , he thought. Under the desk, another jar was laid, when he measured the weight, he noted that the pot was full. He was ready to remove the tissue but he saw a new message on it.

“ _Tomorrow, would you like to bend your bow?”_

 

“Bend my bow, bend my bow...” Wei Wuxian repeated a numerous of times, “Lan Zhan, you...” he sighed. Qishan was the only city he bent his bow by his side, although this city was nothing they used to know. The sects decided after years to rebuild this part of the world, which wanted to be forgotten, at their own expense and for their own benefice. Because the area had been deserted, it had been a chance for a famous sect to extend their cult to another place. Since Lan Wangji had asked him, he would bend his bow to Qishan. But for now, he decreed he deserved to enjoy the alcohol Lan Wangji had given him, and a good night's sleep in Lan Wangji's bed where he hoped that his soft heady scent would brush his nose.

* * *

 

Finally, he was to arrive to Qishan. The heat winded him, and the sunbeams were hitting his clear skin, he was panning the desert he remembered. Except for his arid aspect worsened, nothing had changed. He decided to make a break in this place, where he had met someone who had affected his whole life. He smiled. The lively timid image of Wen Ning crossed his mind, if he hadn't caught this arrow, it could have touched him back then. Since this time, they had gone through a lot of pain and terror, although Wen Ning could not feel anymore.

Some young voices echoed between the large boulders of the desert area, “Master, master, is it true you are good archer? You never let us see!”

“N- Not really,” a man's tone answered.

Wei Wuxian raised his head as he recognized the owner of the voice, “Wen Ning?” A group appeared before his eyes as soon as he spoke, revealing the man with a few kids.

After the events, Wen Ning had built a shelter around the region he was the most familiar with and fostered every orphan children he saw in the streets. Wei Wuxian was delighted to observe the path his friend had chosen, he was glad he could have found one on his own instead of following a man like him. However, Wei Wuxian had had the same idea, to build a house with Lan Wangji and to care about some kids. He grinned, _they could adopt one or two from this shelter_.

Wen Ning had had to oath to the cultivation world that this shelter would not turn into a chance to rebuild his sect in any way. Of course, it had never been Wen Ning's purpose, he only loved kids. Wei Wuxian recalled his inexpressive but pouting dead face whenever A-Yuan wanted to play with him more than Wen Ning. _Perhaps, it would be better for Lan Wangji and him to find other orphans after all_ , he thought. Out of blue for the outsiders of his thoughts, he started laughing with all his sincerity.

“Y-young Master Wei? You are here, why are you laughing?” Wen Ning said. The bunch of kids halted and stared at the stranger their master were talking to.

“I am,” he paused. “Long time no see, you have a lot of kids now,” he still giggled slightly. “But why are you here? Isn't your home few miles away?”

“I wanted these kids to learn how to bend a bow, for trivial hunt, this place is where I used to train so I thought it was ideal.” Wen Ning explained with a soft stolid face, he was looking like he yearned for a smile.

“Oh, kids you are lucky!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, “your master is one of the best of this world! After me, of course.”

“Ehhh? No way, master is obviously better than you!” The kids said as a chorus.

“Master Wei is right, he was a champion back then, I won't dare to compare to him.” Wen Ning confirmed.

“What about we battle?” Wei Wuxian suggested with a smirk.

“Y-young Master Wei...”

Wei Wuxian winked toward Wen Ning's direction and seized one of the bows Wen Ning just posed on a stone. “They are good ones, where did you find them?” he asked.

“I made them myself...”Wen Ning answered shyly.

“You're really good at everything!” Wei Wuxian flattered.

“Thanks...”

They determined a target which they decided to install fifty meters away. Wei Wuxian allowed Wen Ning to open the competition, unlike a real one, and because they had only one target, they would shoot an arrow one after the other. The winner would be announced after five arrows. As expected, Wen Ning's arrow drove straight into the middle of the target. Wei Wuxian immediately heard the cheers and the congratulations of the kids for their dear master. Of course, a large smile split his bright face, Wen Ning deserved to be admired. Obviously, Wei Wuxian didn't miss his first arrow either. But round after round, Wen Ning sent his arrows to the target when Wei Wuxian missed purposely his second, fourth and fifth arrows.

“I've lost, see, Wen Ning, you're a champion!” Wei Wuxian dropped his bow.

“See, Master Wen Ning is a loooot stronger than you!” Some kids said, right into Wei Wuxian's face.

Wei Wuxian started laughing, _these kids would defend Wen Ning no matter what_ , he could be glad. “Yeah, I admitted my defeat, but I told you that he is very strong!” he paused “but now that you have seen us play, try to position on your own as if you were going to shoot an arrow, we will watch over you.”

Each kid grabbed a bow and tried to imitate Wen Ning from his position for bending his bow to his concentrated face. When the kids were training, Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning sat on two stones, keeping an eye on them.

“Young Master Wei, why did you let me win?” Wen Ning requested, his two hands behind his back.

“Well, can't you guess?”

“Huh?” Wen Ning let out the best skeptical face he could make.

“Ahah, look at them, they are all proud of their master, they love and admire you a lot, who would break this? You deserve all of this.” Wei Wuxian confessed.

“Young Master Wei... thank you a lot for everything.”

Wei Wuxian glanced at Wen Ning, if he could cry, the man before him would, he patted his head and said, “I should be the one to say this.”

In the kids' din, they stayed silent, only watching them.

“Oh right, young Master Wei,” Wen Ning seemed to remind, “I was waiting for you. Young second master Lan came two days ago and told me to give you something. He knew you would be here under three days, it happened to be two.”

“Uh? What is it?” Wei Wuxian told, questioning.

“There” Wen Ning tended the objects Lan Wangji wanted him to get, “he said you would know.”

Wei Wuxian analyzed the objects, there were two guqin's strings again and his own head ribbon. On the ribbon, it was written two words in the usual Lan Wangji's calligraphy, and like each time, Wei Wuxian heard his voice roaming his ears.

“ _Second. Turtle.”_

 

Wei Wuxian sighed, the more he was traveling and the more his hints was short, “Lan Zhan...” he murmured in spite of he was in Wen Ning's presence. Suddenly, he realized, “Wen Ning...”

“Yes, young Master Wei?”

“You didn't see Lan Zhan without his head ribbon, did you!?” he worried.

“No, it was another one, he kept the one he had on his head.”

He sighed but of relief this time. Even though he had not cared personally about the ribbon's meaning in the past, now, that he was aware of it, he preferred to be the only to see Lan Wangji's bare forehead. He thought deeper about the words on the ribbon and came up with the only idea he could find: the Tortoise of Slaughter cave. “Second” was meant for the second time he had withdrawn Lan Wangji's ribbon, and “Turtle” was clearly for the Tortoise of Slaughter that they killed together. Now that he thought about it, it was the first time, after all their disagreements that they could have fought together for a same cause, and that they somehow, bonded over it.

Wei Wuxian jumped off the stone he was sitting on and declared, “I guess I'm going, let's have more fun with the kids some other time, expect Lan Zhan and I to adopt some kids and going there to make them play with everyone.”

“I can't wait to see that.” Wen Ning finished, “Have a nice trip, Young Master Wei.”

The Tortoise of Slaughter's cave wasn't far from there, since it was in the Wen's area. Wei Wuxian took Little Apple and walked few hours to arrive. The front of the cave had been opened again so it was easy for him to get in. In the past, for him, actually, for both of them, this week in this cave had been like a torture. However, without thinking about the pain they didn't feel anymore right now, it was the first time they had shared their weaknesses, Lan Wangji had cried for his father, and had suffered from his body pain. It was also the first time that they had cared for each other, in the pain, in the hunger, in the cold of the moist atmosphere. They had tried to keep each other alive, even if it was just for a song.

Wei Wuxian walked further in the cave, meeting the recess they had stayed in for a week. He hummed the song Lan Wangji had only played for him. Lan Wangji's murmurs had always stuck in his mind, more or less deeply to the point that it had been the first melody to reach him when he needed it at the time of his reincarnation, despite his bad memory. It was their song, the song Lan Wangji dedicated to him and it will be, no matter how many times they die and reincarnate. He sat where Lan Wangji had been lying back then, he closed his eyes, impersonating his partner when he was meditating.

Abruptly, he remembered by the time that he had had a weird dream where Lan Wangji had let him lie down on his laps, he had thought it had only been a dream, but with his fever running high, he could not have been sure. Perhaps, no, he was sure, Lan Wangji had really let him use his laps when he was at his worst state.

He opened his eyes and saw a paper accompanied with some foods, he caught the foods first to honor the past, to when they had been starving for a week. Even if it was just two buns, he would eat it with delectation without leaving a crumb behind him. He swallowed his last bite and took the paper, he carefully unfolded it. As he was reading the message, his eyes widened and his cheeks reddened.

_“Do you remember your first kiss?”_

 

Although he remembered this moment of passion, no one could forget their first kiss, how would Lan Zhan know about it if it was not him? Wei Wuxian seized his legs and buried his face in them like a shy child.

_It was him_ _._ _For his two lifetimes, it had always been him._

 


	2. Chapter 2

His arms were still holding his legs, he fell asleep in the same cold from years ago. Even though he believed the atmosphere would be colder, a warm feeling spread through his body. Rather than a dream, a stream of thoughts and emotions emerged. The love Lan Wangji felt for him had always been present, he could not help but feel jealous of him. He too, would have liked to deeply and amorously love him since they met, “it's unfair, Lan Zhan...” he spoke in his sleep.

_“What is?”_

Although he heard Lan Wangji's deep voice, he knew, it was only a dream. He decided to reply nonetheless, “you love me so much... it's unfair...” he paused, “But, I love you so much too, I want to see you...”

_“Soon, you will.”_

Wei Wuxian continued saying, “I want to hug and kiss you, I miss you, Lan Zhan,” as his breath deepened, falling more and more in the world of dreams.

A soft pair of lips deposited the humidity of a kiss on his forehead, the dream realism made subsist the touch of the mouth. All of sudden, the sweet Lan Wangji's scent after a bath reached his nostrils, he obviously missed Lan Zhan so much that his dreams turned into hallucinations. Yet, not a long time had passed since he had not seen him.

_“I love you, Wei Ying.”_

The man startled, the voice was so close to him that he could feel the blow on his ear, then, gradually, his skin shivered from his head to the toe. His arms' hair still raised, he woke up. His vision fuzzy, he discovered the outer robe of Lan Wangji on his shoulders. He suddenly stood up and shouted “Lan Zhan!?” he rushed and looked around to see if Lan Wangji was still in the cave. Obviously he had already left. He took the robe off his shoulders and sniffed it. Lan Wangji's scent invaded his whole body as he breathed. Even if his journey was going to continue for a more or less long time, he knew that Lan Wangji would be waiting him and be here at the end.

It was time for him to leave for the Phoenix Mountain, the place where he received his first kiss. This Mountain forest was between Lanling and Yunmeng, and despite everything, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but be excited with the idea to go back in this area. Yunmeng was the city he grew up around, he would not bother Lan Wangji with it but he still had a personal attachment there, like Lan Wangji felt a particular attachment to Gusu. Wei Wuxian considered to visit for a day Yunmeng after his trip to the Phoenix Mountain. Perhaps he would get to meet with Jiang Cheng and drink with him, he internally laughed.

He penetrated the forest, looking for the particular tree. Back then, he was blinded by a red ribbon for a stupid challenge he had accepted from his fellow cultivators, so the path to the tree he had been kissed on was blurry in his mind. He remembered it was not deep in the forest, but far enough to be able to play his flute in order for the corpse of the area to leave. However, after the kiss, he had removed the ribbon off his eyes so he could have seen his surroundings. As a fallen trunk was hitting his memory, he noticed the exact same tree on the ground. He raised his eyes, a knife was pegged in another tree; the one of his souvenirs. Getting closer permitted him to see a cut red ribbon between the blade of the knife. When he took the knife out the tree, he had expected words on the ribbon, yet, nothing was written.

Half disappointed, he decided nonetheless to walk around the tree. And he thanked himself to have done so, rather than a paper, it was the tree which was engraved by Lan Wangji's calligraphy. Even though they were done with a knife, every characters were drawn in perfection.

 

_It was also my first kiss._

 

Although he had already discovered this mystery, he couldn't control the blush appearing on his cheeks, it had been their first kiss but Lan Wangji's tongue had already succeeded to make his whole body melt. Once again, it had been unfair of him. Nevertheless, after this moment, Lan Wangji was so upset against himself that he whacked a tree further of his current location. Now that he thought about it, Lan Wangji was feeling remorse to have forced on a kiss. Next time they met, he will have to tell him that he enjoyed their first kiss.

Under the message, two little unnatural holes were handmade in the wood, and two pieces of paper were hidden at the end of it, he took the first one, and opened it, the words were longer than usual.

 

_You told me you have kissed a lot of people before me._

_I believed you at first._

_But, you have lied to me._

_The more I kissed you, the more I realized that we were both unskilled back then._

 

Wei Wuxian burst into a laughter, he was ashamed to have said these lies, but he was even more ashamed of the way Lan Wangji discovered it. He obviously couldn't contradict his past inexperience. He breathed and thought, it was not the case anymore though, they were both skilled in kiss and love. He grabbed the second paper and unfolded it, few words only was written:

 

A-Yuan's and your former home.

 

The home he had built himself, the home he had lived right before his death, the area where he died, embellishing this dark side of him, did Lan Wangji mean the Burial Mounds and the Demon-Slaughtering Cave? It was the only place he had lived with A-Yuan, so of course, it had to be here. Even though it was not the best of his souvenirs, he still remembered the family he had formed with the remnants of the Wen. It would have never been like his Jiang family, but without Wen Ning and Wen Qing, he didn't know what he would have become.

He shook his head tired of his dark thoughts, the knife in his hand, he smiled like a child who found a silly thing to do. He grasped intensely the knife and started engraving words in the tree too.

 

_“Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian shared their first kiss here”_

 

Satisfied, he let escaping a sneer “hehe”. He will definitely go back here with Lan Wangji to show his proud work, “I am sure Lan Zhan will love it!” he said out loud.

Suddenly, behind him, he heard the noise of footsteps. Despite their indelible names now written, he hoped no one had seen him. He coughed and tried to make himself taller, in vain. Finally, he dared to turn around, he looked at the person who had his arms crossed, and even if he was only a late teenager, Wei Wuxian was under the impression he was going to be scolded.

“It is so stupid,” Jin Ling announced as a fact, “and so shameless...”

“Uh uh!” Wei Wuxian corrected. “Love doesn't know shame!” he said, forgetting his own shame of sooner. “You will understand when you will love someone with all your might.”

“How do you know that I do not love someone?” Jin Ling almost pouted, while Wei Wuxian was getting closer to him.

“Mm...” holding his hands behind his back, Wei Wuxian smirked, “You do? Who is the lucky winner deserving your love?

Jin Ling hardly blushed and shouted, “It is none of your business!”

“Ahahahah!” Wei Wuxian immediately mocked, “you are the right son of your father!”

Jin Ling froze at the mention of his father, once again, Wei Wuxian forgot to think before talking, of course the boy would not be comfortable with him talking about his father. He cleared his throat and admitted his mistake, “I am sorry, I am not in position to talk about your father.”

“Actually,” Jin Ling assured, his arms now dangling, “I was surprised but... I don't mind if you are the one mentioning him. Plus, my Uncle doesn't talk about my parents anymore... I don't know a lot about them.”

“What?” Wei Wuxian stated, “How does he dare not to talk about your wonderful mother!?”

“My mother? What about my father?” Jin Ling asked.

“You father...” Wei Wuxian scratched his cheeks, “nothing really serious, we weren't close, that's all.” He walked further and indicated Jin Ling to follow him.

Jin Ling followed him without knowing the destination for a hour, Wei Wuxian noted his curiosity but didn't add any sentence. He leaded him to the lake he had discovered during his young days with Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng had more likely forgotten to tell him about this place, avoiding to talk about the Yiling Patriarch too much. Wei Wuxian recognized that Jiang Cheng had taken a good care of Jin Ling, Jiang Cheng could only be proud of the young man he had raised.

Wei Wuxian observed Jin Ling's eyes widened at the discovery of the lake, whatever it was day or night, whatever it was the sun or the moon, the shining light would reflect on the water and would create a pool of diamond. Wei Wuxian smiled before Jin Ling's reaction which was the same Jiang Cheng and he had in the past.

“How did you know about this lake?” Jin Ling asked in an amazed tone, that Wei Wuxian heard for the first time.

“Once, your Uncle and I were lost in this side of the forest, and we saw this lake, it was our personal secret, but I thought, since it is you, you could know our secret,” he paused “and come with the one you love.” Wei Wuxian teased him. “More seriously, you deserve to know more about our past and about your parents. Not only the bad memories, but the good ones.”

Jin Ling smiled back to him, “Thank you, it is very beautiful.”

They sat at the lake shore, and they chatted about Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli. Wei Wuxian told how his sister would care of him and Jiang Cheng and how they were blessed to have her by their side. He talked about how much she had been in love with his idiot father and how Jin Zixuan had effectively been an idiot. Jin Ling laughed carelessly, imagining the figure of his parents, in spite of the fact he had barely known them. Wei Wuxian comprehended more than anyone the feeling of missing parents, so he patted Jin Ling's back each time his sadness manifested. Jin Ling also explained his childhood that Wei Wuxian had missed and didn't keep for himself the over-protectiveness of Jiang Cheng toward him when he was only a little kid. Wei Wuxian didn't miss to tell that it was still the case and will always be no matter how old Jin Ling was.

The sun disappeared for the moon and the cold wind started skimming their skin. Wei Wuxian stood up and wiped his robe dirty by the dust of the ground. It was time for him to go for the next location, “By the way, I didn't ask you, what were you doing here?”

“My Uncle asked me to... hunt again...” Jin Ling sighed.

“You're working too hard, tell him someday.” Wei Wuxian said, his hands now on his hips.

“As if I could!”

“It's true that he would be mad, even more if he knows that I was the one to consider the option.” Wei Wuxian sneered, he was almost able to see Jiang Cheng's upset face.

“And you, Senior Wei, what are you doing around here, engraving trees with your names?” Jin Ling stood up too.

“Ah. Eh... I am looking for the precious treasures I have left behind me in my previous life,” Wei Wuxian confided. “It's time for me to go to the next address. It was good to spend this afternoon with you, let's do it again, a next time.” Wei Wuxian waved his hand and left Jin Ling behind, to the lake.

When Jin Ling's laugh reached his ears, these became red of embarrassment. After this day spent with Jin Ling, he wanted to display the cool parts of him, but he seemed to have failed to his task. Self-conscious, he preferred to continue his route than turning around. He hold his face thinking of the things he would have liked to talk about with him if it was not for his ridiculous behavior. Heading to Yiling, he had even omitted his wish to go to Yunmeng for a day.

 

After few days, he was back to Yiling. He went through the city with a warm feeling, he felt like he was at home again without uneasiness. From Yiling to the Burial Mounds, his emotions differed despite they were more or less the same location. Yiling was the current city where Lan Wangji and him spent the most of their time. They were so occupied with night hunting and loving each other that his own mind was busy to care about his environment, wherever he was with Lan Wangji, he was at home. Whereas his cave had been a good shelter, it had been a cold one. The solitude in which he had trapped himself had worsened his mind health and a new family could not have changed that, even before anything happened.

In his way, he bought some apples for Little Apple with the rest of the money Lan Wangji had left for him. The Burial Mounds was now in front of him, the air was clearer than the last time he went, as if it had been cleaned. As he walked through it to his cave, a dead silence was flying in the surroundings. In order to kill it off, he hummed a song he had been used to sing to A-Yuan when he was a child, he still heard his young voice imitating him. Quickly, he imagined Lan Sizhui as the grown late teen he was singing the song with his present voice, Wei Wuxian guffawed.

Outside the Demon-Slaughtering Cave, Wei Wuxian read, inscribed on its wall “Rest here, the Wen family” followed by their names, one by one. This is when Wei Wuxian noticed that the name of Wen Qing was missing that he saw at his feet her burial with the significant objects that defined her. Emotional, Wei Wuxian entered the Cave. The torches hanged on the walls lightened the place at Wei Wuxian's surprise who was ready to light them with fire by himself, he wondered out loud “Is someone here?”

 

No replies.

 

Wei Wuxian sank into the Cave, deeper and deeper. Someone's back emerged in his sight, the person was sitting on a rock, playing with something they were holding. Their outfits recalled him the ones the Wen had worn during their days on the Burial Mounds, especially the clothes of one person, dressed with a black and red robe like him.

“A-Yuan?”

“Senior Wei, you arrived, I was waiting for you,” Lan Sizhui spoke.

“You are beautiful, exactly like back then.” Wei Wuxian observed the man, besides his forehead ribbon, he had, indeed, abandoned his sect's robe. “But, I'd rather to see you like a Lan, you have a better condition, now.”

“Do you mean it is more healthy because I'm not buried like a radish?” Lan Sizhui mocked.

“Ah! When will you forget about it?” Wei Wuxian asked without really expecting an answer.

“Never! Actually, it was pretty funny.” The young one admitted. He showed the objects he had in his hands, it was the two butterflies toys Lan Wangji had bought him in his childhood, he stretched his arms and said, “for you.”

“Wow! You kept them?” Wei Wuxian seized one and continued, “it's not even damaged.” he gave it back and declared “It is yours, I won't steal it from you, you kept them for so long they must have a precious signification for you.”

“It was Hanguang-Jun, I forgot about these, but he kept them. It was for his own souvenirs with us, I think.”

“You said what he would never.” Wei Wuxian affirmed, a smirk on his lips.

Lan Sizhui laughed as delicately as he had learned to, Wei Wuxian sat next to him and became more serious, “Thank you, A-Yuan. I get to know from how long Lan Wangji loves me, but, with my disappearance, he had had to lose his mind and a hole had been formed in his heart, but this hole had been more likely repaired by your presence by his side.”

“I was not that valuable, Hanguang-Jun had the strength to go through his woe.” Lan Sizhui acted modest.

“You're wrong, it's only that Lan Zhan won't tell his feelings, I think you know it.”

“That's true.”

They stayed side by side, breathing the nostalgia of the past, without any hint of sadness this time, because they were together. They talked about every souvenirs they had on the Burial Mounds with their Wen family, the dynamism of Wen Qing, the shyness of Wen Ning although he was a living corpse, about the several A-Yuan's uncles, and of course, his granny.

“Why did you made this their burial? And Wen Qing too...” Wei Wuxian murmured.

“We thought with Uncle Ning, they would have liked to be with you, the place you lived in.”

“Mmh.” Wei Wuxian grumbled, his throat squeezed by his emotions, a sob was stuck in.

Lan Sizhui who understood his situation pointed with a finger the opposite wall, Wei Wuxian raised his head, and when he read the message on it, not only he started laughing but his sob escaped from his throat.

 

_Lan Wangji of Gusu and Wei Wuxian of Yunmeng were here._

 

Unable to tell if he was amused, sad or happy, his tears rolled on his cheeks, he could not contain his feelings anymore. His heartbeats controlled the flow of his thrills, Lan Sizhui patted his back as he was letting out some screams. He thought about the engraving he left on the tree of the Phoenix Mountain and laughed even more euphorically. Anywhere they went, there were traces of their passage. Lan Wangji wished he could make peace with his past and show the love he had for him during all these years.

He didn't remember the last time he cried, but he was sure it was not in this life. Lan Wangji had considered he needed this time to recollect when he could not have been able to in his previous life, because he had been blinded by his own acts. Despite his tears, Wei Wuxian reflected on his next destination, _Lan Zhan, you want me to meet him again, don't you?_

“A-Yuan,” he said, “I love Hanguang-Jun to death.”

“I know.”

“I need Hanguang-Jun more than the moon needs the night sky to shine.”

“I know.”

“Without him, I would not have survived the second time.”

“I know.”

As Wei Wuxian confessed, Lan Sizhui embraced his father figure more in his arms to comfort him and notify him that he won't ever be alone.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you had enjoyed the second chapter of Wei Wuxian's path, do not hesitate to talk to me here or on my twitter (I have the same username than here) ~

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fiction I post about Mo Dao Zu Shi and Wangxian. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this short but cute story.


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